[Full Sidekick 4G Review] Announced at CTIA 2011 the Sidekick 4G by Samsung is the rebirth of T-Mobile's Sidekick series of phones. The Sidekick 4G is the first Sidekick phone to run Google Android operating system. The Sidekick 4G features a 3.5-inch display with a 480x800 WVGA resolution, a front facing camera for video chat and a physical QWERTY keyboard. Powering it is a 1GHz Cortex A8 processor with 512MB of RAM. The Sidekick 4G smartphone is also able to use T-Mobile's 4G HSPA+ network. Read on for the latest Sidekick 4G news, reviews and videos:

The world of mobile technology is one of the fiercest competitive markets ever. In the quest to stand out from the pack, some companies make bold moves and succeed brilliantly. Others are more meek and fade into the unexceptional background. Still others fill the space between, innovating once, then endlessly iterating over and over again. Then there are those that just screw it all up. Thanks to choices that are either too bold, too meek, or just plain-old absolutely insane, these are the products that fall flat on their face. They’re not to be mocked, but the lessons they teach ...

A recent T-Mobile leak showed that the Samsung-made Sidekick 4G was getting discontinued. We wondered at the time what that might mean for the Sidekick brand in general, since we've already seen the name die and be resurrected once. Would T-Mobile play phoenix with the Sidekick again, or were we really looking at the end of the road? The carrier's since released a statement confirming the Sidekick 4G's fate, but leaving the door open for future Sidekick devices. Maybe we were concerned with the future of the Sidekick name out of nostalgia more than anything, but there's certainly something ...

This time last year, T-Mobile was announcing the coming revival of the Sidekick brand, and its promotion from messaging feature phone to full-fledged Android, with the Samsung-made Sidekick 4G. The handset finally arrived in April 2011, and we were generally pleased with it in our review. Nearly a year later now, a leaked T-Mobile document has arrived that reveals the Sidekick's ultimate fate, marked as entering the discontinued bin last week. The fact that the Sidekick 4G has been put out to pasture is nothing unexpected; with its aging hardware, the only real selling point for the phone ...

If you have a T-Mobile Sidekick 4G, you should receive an over-the-air update notification for a new ROM available. Before you get too excited, Android 2.2 Froyo will still be the platform operating your phone as it's not a platform update but a maintenance one. That being the case, your new version after the update will be T839UVKG2. It's being pushed out in waves since July 21 and you should receive it soon on your phone. Not much info is being disclosed by T-Mobile except for the fact that the update includes "various bug fixes and enhancements based on customer feedback". If you want ...

Earlier this year Apple considered that Samsung is ripping it off by copying its iPhone design and applying it to a couple of its own smartphones. Cupertino claimed to take a look at Samsung's upcoming models and the Korean company instantly responded demanding the same, plus adding in a couple of patents to raise the stakes. If the original complaint referred to designs of the Samsung Captivate, Continuum, Vibrant, Galaxy S 4G, Epic 4G, Indulge, Mesmerize, Showcase, Fascinate, Nexus S, Gem, Transform, Intercept, and Acclaim smartphones, Apple has amended it to add an additional eleven ...

Some leaked T-Mobile screenshots shows that new smartphone prices are coming to the carrier tomorrow, with both higher and lower price points in store for its users. Motorola's Defy has a web-only discount bringing its price down to $50, but you'll pay $150 without that deal; after tomorrow, that brick-and-mortar price will itself go down to $100; we're not sure what effect that will have on the online promotion. Oddly, this figure isn't marked in bold to indicate a new price in these images, but reflects a change from what's currently advertised on T-Mobile's site. Samsung's Galaxy S 4G ...

Since its release in 2002 as the Danger Hiptop the Sidekick has been on a rollercoaster ride. With integration of AIM and being the first cell phone capable of placing unassisted TTY via the browser, it even gained a foothold in American Sign Language. But in 2009, a major outage and data loss followed by stop on sales in 2010 was thought to be the final nail. But the name has been resurrected with a new core: Android. Has the original concept been lost in translation, or will we see the Sidekick reborn? In this review, we'll give you the answer. BOX CONTENTS While it's a little obvious ...

Since its release in 2002 (as the Danger Hiptop) the Sidekick has been on a rollercoaster ride. With integration of AIM and being the first cell phone capable of placing unassisted TTY via the browser, it even gained a sign in American Sign Language. But in 2009, a major outage and data loss followed by stop on sales in 2010 was thought to be the final nail. But the name has been resurrected with a new core: Android. Previously, we took you through our unboxing of the T-Mobile Sidekick 4G. And to follow-up, here is our Hardware and Software video tours for your viewing pleasure: Check back ...

Since its release in 2002 (as the Danger Hiptop) the Sidekick has been on a rollercoaster ride. With integration of AIM and being the first cell phone capable of placing unassisted TTY via the browser, it even gained a sign in American Sign Language. But in 2009, a major outage and data loss followed by stop on sales in 2010 was thought to be the final nail. But the name has been resurrected with a new core: Android. Clocking in at only $99 (on contract), the T-Mobile Sidekick certainly seems monetarily appealing. But the unboxing demonstrates this price point leads has led to some cuts ...

Samsung and T-Mobile have announced the reborn Sidekick with added 4G at the middle of month March and the newly resulted Sidekick 4G is a "nostalgia" phone running Android 2.2 Froyo. In the vein of recent source releases -- like the Gingerbread source for the Galaxy S -- the Korean manufacturer has just released the Android source for T-Mobile's Sidekick 4G. ROM chefs, hackers and developers can get their hands dirty and users can start preparing for some custom ROM goodness. Head over to the Release Center and search for "SGH-T839" to grab your copy. Source: Samsung Open Source Release ...

The reborn T-Mobile Sidekick 4G by Samsung only hit retail on Wednesday, and it's already ripe for some superuser fun, as the smartphone has been rooted, with the full guide posted at the XDA-Developers forums. Finally shedding its designation as a simple messaging-phone, the newly mature Android smartphone is getting the same sort of hazing treatment given to most such devices upon their debut, with tinkerers descending on it with their digital crowbars, looking for a way to force their way in. It didn't take long, with techniques known to work on other Samsung devices performing here ...

Along with the T-Mobile G2x, the Sidekick 4G is available today too from Magenta as we were previously informed by the carrier itself and pretty much like with the case of the G2x, the Sidekick 4G is also cheaper over at Wirefly. While you'll be able to grab one from the carrier for $99.99, you might as well head over to Wirefly and have either the Black or the Pink versions for $79.99 with a new T-Mobile account. It's not much but it's definitely cheaper. The Sidekick 4G features a 3.5-inch display with 480 x 800 WVGA resolution, a front facing camera for video chat, slide-out QWERTY ...

After T-Mobile announcing an April 20 availability for both the LG Optimus 2X carrier variant called T-Mobile G2x and the Sidekick 4g, follow-up to the successful Sidekick, Wirefly has both devices on pre-order and makes the deal sweet by adding in a discount. While the T-Mobile G2x will officially go for $199.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and the Sidekick 4G for $99, Wirefly is offering the G2x at $149.99 and the Sidekick 4G for $79.99, both with a new T-Mobile account. Those are sweet prices and the date to circle in your calendar is April 20. The G2x sports a 4-inch WVGA screen, Tegra 2 ...

T-Mobile's been busy spreading word about the Sidekick 4G, the Samsung-designed Android reboot for the seminal line of messaging phones. The carrier just announced the phone a couple weeks back, and has since been releasing a series of video clips giving potential customers an overview of the phone's main features. We've heard about some potential price points for the phone, but have been left in the dark as to when we might actually see it arrive. It looks like Radio Shack has fixed that for us, tweeting that sales will begin on April 20. That Wednesday could be a big day for T-Mobile ...

A couple weeks ago we saw T-Mobile's Joe Fernandez, Project Manager for the Sidekick 4G, make a short video demo introducing the phone and showing off some of the color options. Joe's back to show us a close look at the Sidekick, showing off some additional capabilities in a series of new videos. Here Joe goes over the Media Room app, letting you search across YouTube, Slacker Radio, and other sources for information or artists you're interested in. If you're looking for TV and movies, the Samsung Media Hub has titles available for purchase and download. Messaging functions include a ...

While we're seeing a lot of interest in follow-ups to popular phones, with new models like the Galaxy S 2 and Wildfire 2 on the way, devices with long lineages to them seem to be the exception, not the rule. While the iPhone line may seem positively ancient, stretching back to 2007, it can't touch the T-Mobile Sidekick, which has been around in one form or another since 2002. Now the classic messaging phone is coming back as a 4G Android smartphone, and T-Mobile has just started taking names of people who are interested in learning more about the upcoming handset. Thankfully, the Sidekick ...

It looks like T-Mobile's Sidekick brand is growing up. The once-popular-with-teens slider phone is showing up as a more robust 4G device, made by Samsung now instead of Sharp, running on Android. These leaked shots show the device with the same iconic design, complete with the sliding screen and keyboard. This move makes sense as after Microsoft's acquisition of Danger, maker of the Sidekick, T-Mobile maintained the right to use the Sidekick brand, which was especially popular with teens. Those teens are now more grown up and have more money to spend, so they're likely to take note to this ...

T-Mobile unveiled the Samsung-made Sidekick 4G smartphone, the follow-up to the old and successful Sidekick, on March 15, and we really hope to get our hands on with this baby in Florida at the CTIA next week. T-Mobile makes a brief presentation of the smartphone and its feature in the video below, emphasizing on the unique features as the slide-out QWERTY keyboard, the sliding action as well as the social integration. As a reminder, the Sidekick 4G sports a 3.5-inch display -- same as the iPhone 4, five-row QWERTY keyboard, 1GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird processor, front facing webcam and ...

In this segment we take a look at the T-Mobile Sidekick 4G, resurgence of the Sidekick line with a new operating system (Android) and a new manufacturer (Samsung). The device felt pretty solid all around, with a good sliding mechanism and tried-and-true Sidekick keyboard. Since this is a 4G device, internet speeds were typically impressive, although some of that is probably due to enhanced coverage here at CTIA. We found the skinned interface to be fairly basic but probably perfect for the Sidekick crowd, as this will likely be a starter Android handset for many. Also, we certainly ...

With CTIA now officially in full swing, T-Mobile has revealed the pricing structure for Samsung's Sidekick 4G, offering the phone for as little as $99.99 on a two-year contract. In order to get that rate, you'll need to subscribe your new Sidekick 4G to one of T-Mobile's plans with unlimited data. While you can scale back your monthly bill and elect to go with a lesser plan, you'll pay more upfront, with your Sidekick running around $150. Both prices are taking into account a fifty dollar mail-in-rebate. What's the word on how the reborn Sidekick lives up to the legacy of its ...

The T-Mobile Sidekick has been stuck playing second-fiddle to smartphones in its various incarnations over the years. While an innovative piece of hardware when it first arrived, it's since been eclipsed by the power and flexibility of proper smartphones and fell into a bit of a niche as a messaging phone for teenagers. As this phoenix rises from its ashes and is reborn as an Android device, it will finally have the capabilities it needs to be taken a little more seriously. While T-Mobile provided some details in yesterday's press release, today some additional phone specifications have ...

The once very popular Sidekick is back as T-Mobile together with Samsung have unveiled the T-Mobile Sidekick 4G, an Android powered slide-out QWERTY smartphone capable of peak download speeds of up to 21 Mbps -- at least on paper. Pretty much like the beginning of 2011 leaks implied, the device sports a 3.5-inch display a la iPhone 4, five-row QWERTY keyboard, 1GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird processor, front facing webcam and it's powered by Google Android 2.2 Froyo. It comes preinstalled with Facebook and Twitter apps for your social networking needs, Media Room for music, videos, movies, ...